Piano-action



Patented Sept. 20, I898.

No. 6l0,963.

A. FERNER.

PIANO ACTION.

(Application filed on. 21, 1697.

(No Model.)

FIG. 3

FIG. 2

FIG. 1

INVEN'kOii MJ BY A5; 4; ATTYs WITNESSES 1% THE nouns HITERS c0.PHOYOJJYHQ, wnsmwm'on u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AIDOLPII FERNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIANO-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,963, datedSeptember 20, 1898.

Application filed er 21, 1897.

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLPH FERNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Piano-Actions, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to piano-actions, particularly to the connectionbetween the hammer-butt and that part which in old actions is termed thejack-bed or rocker, and is particularly applicable to upright pianos.

The objects of my invention are to improve the repeating action of thehammer, to reduce the friction on the felt or padding and therebydiminish the wear on same, to reduce the extent of travel of the jack inletting off the hammer, to provide for unfailing striking of the hammerby keeping the jack in constant control and so constructing the parts asto avoid the choking which is caused by the swelling of some of theparts in other actions, to arrange the parts so that the same may bereadily separated for repair, to provide for simple and perfectregulation, and to provide for simplicity, durability, and cheapness ofconstruction. I accomplish these objects by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of anuprightpiano action constructed according to my invention, showing thediflferent members of the supporting-frame in section and showing theposition of the parts when the key is at rest in its normal position,the key 21 being broken away. Fig. 2 is the same view, but showing theposition of the parts at the instant the key is struck and indicating bydotted lines the position of the hammer as the same is let offimmediately after the key is struck and while the same is stilldepressed. Fig. 3 is a front view of the action as shown in Fig. 1, withthe key shown in sectio n.

The parts to which my invention has particular reference are numbered 1to 12, inclusive, and form the connection between the hammer-butt 15 andthe rocker 18. The other parts shown are old. The members 23 to 27,inclusive, are parts of the frame.

The member 27 with the hammer-butt spring 28 may be omitted, as suchspring is not necessary to the operation of my device;

Serial No. 655,920. (No model.)

but these parts are shown for the purpose of comparison with otheractions and since the same may be used with my device, if desired, asadditional means for letting off the hammer.

It will be seen from the drawings that in my device that part which inold actions is termed the jack-bed or rocker consists of two members, ofwhich the member 6 is properly the jack-bed and the member 18 is therocker. These parts will therefore be so termed in the followingdescription.

Referring to the main parts of my invention, the jack 1 is pivoted tothe hammer-butt 15. The jack-bed 6 is pivoted to the rocker 18. Thejack-bed 6 has an arm 7, to which is se cured the jack-catch 11, and thehook 4, pass ing through the slot2 in the jack and having thereon a stop5.

The stop 13, supported by the screw 14 in the member 24 of the frame,operates upon the outer shoulder on the jack-bed in like manner as thesame operates directly on a shoulder on the jack in old actions. Thisstop, however, is more accessible for regulation in my device on accountof the absence of the back-check, which in old actions extends upwardfrom the rocker and in front of this stop. The member 24: is supportedby the arm 24: on the member 25 in the usual manner.

The jack 1 is in contact with the shoulder 8 both before the key isstruck and when depressed. It is constantly either touching or nearlytouching the same, thus providing for very rapid repeating withoutentirely releasing the key. IVith the form of the shoulder 8 shown thejack is separated from the shoulder very slightly after the stroke justbefore the hammer resumes the position shown in Fig. 1 and when the jackis against the shoulder 9. This separation is, however, scarcelyperceptible, the jack even then being in position to be instantlyoperated upon when the key is depressed. The riser 20 lifts the rocker18 in the usual manner, and this, through the connection 17, to whichthe jackbed 6 is pivoted, and through the spring 16, lifts the jack-bedto the position shown in Fig. 2. This acting upon the jack, through Thehook, which is seated in the arm 7, acts as a fulcrum on the jack,drawing the same over by pressure of the hook against the padding 3, sothat the felt or padded shoulder 10 is held against the jack-catch 11between its upper and lower flanges. The jack-catch may be regulated asto position by the screw 12, which is seated in the arm 7, providing forbringing the same nearer to the jack, if desired, as in case theshoulder 10 wears off or is through any cause diminished in size. Thestop 8 on the shank of the hook 4: immediately pushes the jack back tothe position shown in Fig. 1 after the key is released. The slot 2 inthe jack,

through which the shank of the hook 2 passes,"

is of sufficient length to permit a slight upand-down movement of thejack sufficient for the striking and letting off of the hammer while thekey is depressed.

It will be seen that the motion of the jack is at all times in perfectcontrol by the difierent parts secured to the jack-bed 6, so that thereis no uncertainty in its movement nor in its position at any time in thecourse of the stroke or the release of the key.

The damper 22 is operated in the usual manner by the arm 19 on therocker.

The rebound from the string and weight of the parts is sufficient tourge the hammer back in the absence of the spring 28, and this, togetherwith the fact that the jack is pivoted to the hammer-butt and is furtherin constant control by the parts attached to the jack-bed 6, renders themovement of the hammer definite and reliable without such spring.

It will be seen that the travel of my jack is much less than that of thejacks in other upright-piano actions in common use. This necessarilydiminishes the friction and consequent wear on the padding or felt. Inother actions having the ordinary back-catch on the rocker and theordinary back-catch bunter on the hammer-butt there is much friction andwear on these parts.

The hook 4, stop 5, and catch 11 are all preferably adjustable, theshank of the hook being threaded and the catch 11 being secured to themember 7 by a screw, thus providing for very accurate adjustment of theparts controlling the movement of the jack.

It is plain that different parts may be attached to the arm 7 to performthe functions of the hook t and stop 5. I do not, therefore, confinemyself to the details shown; but any parts which in like manner pull andpush the jack may be substituted therefor. The shank of the book may attimes act upon the bottom of the slot to help draw down the jack. Thiswill be important in case the pivotal action of the hammer-butt becomesimperfect.

In such case the bottom of the slot 2 serves as a catch or stop on thejack and the shank of the hook 4 serves as a catch on the memher 7 ofthe jack-bed, whereby the jack, is pulled down. I

I do not confine myself to the particular form of any of the partsshown, but claim any mechanical equivalents which will perform thefunctions ofthese parts as described, referring particularly to theparts numbered 1 to 12, inclusive.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a piano-action, a jack pivotally connected at one end, to thehammer-butt; in combination with a jack-bed having thereon a shoulderfor engaging the other end of the jack; a catch or hook secured to saidjackbed, for pulling the jack forward; and a stop secured to saidjack-bed for pushing the jack "back with reference to said shoulder;substantially as described.

2. In a piano-action, a jack pivotally connected at one end, to thehammer-butt and having a shoulder 10 near its other end; in

combination with a jack-bed having thereon a shoulder for engaging saidother end of the jack; a catch or hook secured to said jack-bed forpulling the jack forward; a stop secured to the jack-bed for pushing thejack back with reference to the shoulder on the jack-bed and a catch 11,for engaging the shoulder 10; substantially as described.

3. In a piano-action, a jack pivotally c011- nected at one end, to thehammer-butt; in combination with a jack-bed having thereon a shoulderfor engaging the other end of the jack; a catch or hook secured to saidjack-bed for pulling the jack forward; a stop secured to said jack-bedfor pushing the jack back with reference to said shoulder; and a rocker18 pivotally connected to the jack-bed, for actuatin g the same;substantially as described.

IIO

5. In a piano-action, a jack having a combined swinging and longitudinalmovement, and having thereon a shoulder 10; in combination with atilting jack-bed, independent of the jack, and having thereon a hook forpulling the jack forward, a catch for engaging the shoulder 10 at theend of the forward travel of the jack, and a stop for pushing said jackfree from the catch; substantially as described. 7

6. In a piano-action, a jack-bed having thereon the upward extension 7with the hook at and stop 5 adjustably secured thereto, substantially asand for the purposes specified.

7. In a piano-action, a jack-bed having thereon the upward extension 7with the hook at and stop 5 adjustably secured thereto and thejack-catch 11 secured thereto, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

8. In a piano-action, a jack-bed having thereon the upward extension 7with the hook i: and stop 5 secured thereto, and the jackcatch 11 adjustably secured thereto, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

9. In a piano-action, a jack-bed having thereon the shoulders 8 and 9,and the upward extension 7 with the hook 4 and stop 5 adjustably securedthereto, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

10. In a piano-action, a jack-bed having thereon the shoulders 8 and 9,and the exten sion 7 with the hook 4, and stop 5 and jack catch 11,secured thereto, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

11. In a piano-action, a jack-bed having thereon the shoulders 8 and 9,and the upward extension 7 with the hook 4, stop 5 and jack-catch 11adjustably secured thereto, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

12. In a piano-action, a jack-bed having thereon the shoulders 8 and 9,and the upward extension 7 with the hook at and stop 5 secured thereto,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

13. In a piano-action, a jack-bed having thereon the shoulders 8 and 9,and the upward extension 7 with the jack-catch 11 secured thereto; incombination with a rocker 18 pivotally secured to the jack-bed, for ac-15. In a piano-action, a jack-bed having thereon the shoulders 8 and 9,and the upward extension 7 with the hook 4, stop 5 and jack-catch 11 adjustably secured thereto; in combination with a rocker 18 pivotallysecured to the jack-bed, for actuating same; substantially as and forthe purposes specified.

16. In a piano-action, a jack pivotally connected to the hammer-butt; incombination with meansfor impartinga longitudinal movement to the jack,in the direction of the hammer-butt; a hook or catch, independently ofwhich, said jack is longitudinally movable, for simultaneously impartinga lateral movement to said jack; and means, independent of thehammer-butt; directly engaging the jack, at the end of said lateralmovement, for liinitingsaid longitudinal movement; substantially asdescribed.

ADOLPII FERNER.

Vitnesses ALFRED MELTZER, HERMANN HEINZ.

